Improved ice-chest for soda-apparatus and refrigerators



tant. @annil itin E. BIGELO W, Y OF SPRINGFIELD, MA SSA CHUSET'IS.' Leners Patent No. 89,010, dated April 2o, 1869.

IIPROVED ICE-CHEST FOR SODA-APPARATUS AND REFRGERATORS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and maklng part of the same,

To all whom it may conce/m Be it known that I, E. BIGELow, of Springfield, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Ice-Chest of Soda-Ap-v paratus and Refrigerators; and I do lhereby declare that the following is a full and accurate description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a top view of an ice-chest on my iniproved plan, and v Figure 2, a longitudinal vertical section. The same letters refer to like parts in both gures. It is well known that the metallic water-tight lining of ice-chests causes the ice to melt rapidly. This is more particularly the case in the ice-apartment of sodaapparatus, because the ice-chest is quite deep, and presents to the ice in it a very large metallic surface, and

the ice being broken in small lumps, and packed against the metalliclining, melts away with great rapidity.

This objection in ice-chests has, in part, been overcome by placing between the metallic water-tight lining of the ice-chest and the ice a lining of felt, annel, or wood, but to these substances there are serions objections. The felt and flannel are pf very fragile texture, easily torn, soon become wet through and musty, and impart a very disagreeable smell to the refrigerator.

If woodis used between the metallic lining of the ice-chest and the ice, it is very liable to warp, and when used of a suicient thickness, for a 'lining in the` ice-chest of a soda-apparatus, it takes up too much of the space required for a sufficient quantity of ice. In addition tothis, when the wood. once becomesmusty, it is not easily puried.

My invention consists in covering the metal watertight lining of the ice-chest of a soda-apparatus or refrigerator with a lining of pure sheet gutta-percha, or any other equally indestructible gum, that will act as a non-conductor of` heat, be impervious to water, will not mould, and can be readily removed and washed, and replacedl in the ice-chest.

In the annexed drawingsa representsV an ice-chest or ice-box formed with the usual metallic water-tight lining b, thenon-conducting material c being interposed between the outside ease andthe lining, as is usual in all ice-chests.

To the inside of the metallic water-tight lining, I- it snugly another lining, d, made of Asheet gatta-perche,

and which extends from the bottom to the top of the v ice-chest..

The upper edge of all four sides of this lining d is formed with a anch, e,'whi'cl1 is secured by rivets or otherwise to the under side ofa strip of metal, f. Thesestrips of metal extend all around the top edge of the ice-chest, and the vlanches e and metal strips are each made of a width equal to the thickness of the ieeehest proper. l

A anch, g, may be formed at the outer edge of the metal strips, to projectdown a short distance over the upper edgepof the ice-chest, but this will not be required if the inner lining is made to lit snugly allaround to the metallic lining.

This inner lining, made from pure sheet gutta-percha, being a good non-conductor of heat, and impervious to water, will preserve the ice for a much longer time than by any other known means; itis ilegible, and yet of very tough libre, and is indestructible, and is inodorous tothe extent that it will not impart a disagreeable lavor to any fluids or food placed in contact with it. It can be removed from the ice-chest with great facility, and is easily washed and'made pure, by simply using water.

I have described the inner lining d as 'being made of pure sheet gntta-percha. beeauseI deem that substance the best, but it will be obvious that any'othergurn possessin g all, or nearly all, the properties I have specified can be substituted for the gntta-pereha, and, therefore, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself exclusively to its use. What I claim herein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Providing the metallic water-tight lining of ice-chests with an inner lining of sheet gu'tta-percha, o`r other equivalent gum, as herein described, and for the purposes set forth.

Witnesses:

W. B. ROGERS, A. L. SOULE.

E." BIGELOW. 

